


In the Guest Room Down the Hall

by MamaSpider



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz, Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: And a doggo named Oniimush, F/F, F/M, Intersex!Christine, Intersex!Michael, Jake's Native American, Jake's got a prosthetic leg, Like meeeeeeee, M/M, Mohawk but speaks Ojibwe, Projecting, Schizophrenic!Evan, mental break, oh yeah, projecting mental illness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-05-16 00:55:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14801264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MamaSpider/pseuds/MamaSpider
Summary: Jeremy's getting a brother! Only one issue: No one told him.Upon meeting Evan, Jeremy's empathy goes into overdrive. He has anxiety, something Jeremy Is not equipped to deal with. And when he starts acting like a completely different person, Jeremy's at a loss. It doesn't help that Mr. Heere refuses to believe Evan dumped his own pills down the toilet before burning Jeremy's things in the trash.Michael falling head-over-heels for the blonde doesn't help anything either.





	1. Jeremy Gets a Surprise

Jeremy leaned forward on the couch cushion, bouncing his leg. His mind raced as he continued to process the bombshell his dad has just dropped on him. Mr. Heere sat in front of Jeremy on one of their kitchen stools. He had pulled it away from the island to have a short sit-down with his son. He gulped as he glanced at his phone. Five minutes of silence. Could be worse.

“She has a what?” Jeremy asked, hushed.

Mr. Heere nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. He had told Jeremy his plans to marry his girlfriend months ago. However, he neglected to mention one very important detail. A detail that should’ve come up a million times over. Though, it was hard to grasp any major details from the long-winded rants and raves Mr. Heere went on about Heidi. It took Jeremy until two weeks ago to learn Heidi’s job. But of course, Jeremy could perfectly visualize her round hazel eyes thanks to Mr. Heere’s 2AM rant in the kitchen over a bowl of cereal.

“A son,” Mr. Heere reiterated. “He’s moving in too.”

Jeremy looked down and took it all in. How had his stepmom’s child never come up? He and his dad had talked many times about Heidi and her habits, how she was scraping up as many college credits as she could and her taxing job. How on earth did her kid evade these discussions? 

Jeremy felt conflicted. He was all for his dad falling in love again, all for having a maternal figure in his house again, so long as she knew her boundaries. But a stepbrother? A tinge of worry sparked deep in the teen’s belly. What if his dad neglected him in favor of the new addition? 

“Do I have to share my room?” Jeremy asked, hiding his worry.

“No, Evan’s going to be in the room down the hall from you. The one on the other side of the bathroom,” Mr. Heere gestured to the upstairs hall, excited. 

Jeremy smiled and rolled his eyes at his dad’s enthusiasm. The room in question was large, a bit bigger than Jeremy’s. The only reason it was the guest room was the lack of a closet and the shortage of outlets.

“So, I get to be a big brother?” The fear began to wash away, anticipation taking its place.

“No.”

Jeremy laid back on the couch. He wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or not. Jeremy made eye contact with his dad. A thought raced through his mind. That didn’t make any sense.

“Wait,” Jeremy paused.

“But you said-”

“O-oh! No.” Mr. Heere waved his hands in an apologetic gesture. His smile turned into a nervous grin.

“He’s going to be your big brother.”

Jeremy glared at his dad. Surely he was Joking. He himself was about to turn 18. There was no way this Evan was older and still living at home. Unless-

“So, he’s a senior like me?” 

Jeremy feels a smile spread across his face. Having an older brother so close in age would be so cool! They’d have the same teachers, maybe the same friends. He could teach the Texan all about the New Jersey lifestyle, where to find the best snacks and weed, what time of day the seagulls left. Maybe Evan could even teach Jeremy about the south.

“Well...no,” Mr. Heere’s voice paused Jeremy’s train of thought.

“He graduated last year. He’s not in college yet, but he’s going to try and find a job and save up,” Mr. Heere explained.

Jeremy’s smile fled. Why wouldn’t he be in college? Didn’t he have scholarships? Letters of recommendation? Anything a normal teenager would have prepared? Jeremy bit at the inside of his cheek.

“Why isn’t he in college? Shouldn’t he have his own place?” He asks.

“Jer, he has severe anxiety. Both Heidi and I agree, he’s going to live with us until he can get on his feet,” 

Jeremy crossed his arms. He began to paint a pretty undesirable picture of his new brother. A part of him just knew this kid would be a freeloading jerk using his dad’s kindness toward his mental illness as an excuse to live rent-free. On the other hand, maybe Evan really was struggling to get on his feet. Jeremy was just so afraid of his dad getting hurt.

“Jeremy,”

Uh-oh, Dad voice. Jeremy looked his dad in the eyes. Mr. Heere looked disappointed. He must have made a face.

“I expect you to respect your stepbrother.” Mr. Heere warned.

“I will, Dad. Promise.” Jeremy assured him.

Mr. Heere jumped as his phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and smiled. It was that wide, soft, in-love smile Jeremy didn’t realize he missed seeing. Mr. Heere jumped up from the stool and answered the phone, unconsciously straightening his back.

“Hey, Heidi! … Really? Great! When do you think you’ll be here?” 

Jeremy watched his dad head into the office. He smiled and tugged on his cardigan. Jeremy couldn’t wait to see Heidi make his dad that happy every single day.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

“Yep, see you in three days, Steve,” Heidi smiled as she hung up. 

She locked the door for the very last time and sighed happily, putting her phone away. Looking to the U-Haul truck, she saw Evan standing beside it as he talked to Jared. The nervous blonde would occasionally snatch a glance at the truck behind him. Heidi decided to triple-check the cargo as the boys finished their goodbye. 

“Jeremy. Heere?” Jared lets the name spill from his mouth for the hundredth time. 

“Yes. Heere. Like here.” Evan sighed, his patience slowly slipping. 

Jared snorted and zipped up his hoodie. He stopped it just before the tip of the triforce emblem print. 

“Evan fucking Heere.” Jared reached out and squeezed the taller boy’s shoulder. 

“Hey, bright side, you can finally make a new Facebook account,” 

Evan rolled his eyes as Jared let out his signature laugh. He placed a hand over Jared’s wrist. There was a sadness brewing in his gut that refused to digest. He didn’t want to say goodbye. 

Sure, their relationship was ragged at best, and Evan was certain Jared didn’t forgive him for the Connor incident, but Jared grounded Evan. He was Evan’s constant in life. His lifeline. Someone he could talk to at all hours. Evan couldn’t help but feel the two were more than family friends. Maybe even...best friends? 

“So,” Jared ripped away his hand, leaving Evan’s cold. 

“Expect a package in a week,” Jared gave a coy and knowing smile. 

“Wh-what?” Evan asked. 

“At your new house. Expect a surprise.” 

Both boys flinched as Jared’s alarm went off. He pulled out his phone and turned the blaring music down. He hissed and shoved the phone back onto his pocket. Jared adjusted his glasses and avoided eye contact. 

“I gotta go,” He grumbled. 

“Class?” 

“Class,” Jared nodded and groaned. 

Evan began to shift his weight from foot to foot. This was it. This was goodbye. He was going to be friendless. Evan could feel his pulse in his ears as they burned. His palms began to sweat. What should he say? What should he do? This could be the pivotal moment in their relationship. What if- 

“Text me.” Jared quickly raised his hand before dropping it in a half-hearted wave. 

He quickly turned and swaggered off to his car, unnaturally happy to be saying goodbye. Evan stiffened. Was that it? What if Jared wanted to ditch Evan like that long before the Connor project? Was he a burden to Jared since they met? Would he even be needed now? Did Jared start paying his own car insurance? Why did it feel like his heart was breaking? Did Jared- 

Heidi’s hand on Evan’s shoulder snapped him back to reality. He wiped his hands on his jeans and looked at his mom. 

“Ready to go, champ?” She asked. 

“Y-yeah.” 

Evan climbed into the U-Haul truck, after making sure the car trailer was actually secure. Heidi checked her phone and confirmed a GPS route to the first stop. Evan buckled his seatbelt and took a deep breath. On to New Jersey...and his new family. 

He hoped the Heeres would like him. 


	2. Another Day Was Needed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy expresses his fear in meeting his new brother. Things escalate when Evan shows up a day early.

Jeremy had a system in place for date nights. He’d spend the entire day playing video games with Michael, as usual, periodically checking his phone. It would always be face up so he could see if Christine had arrived. He usually checked it every five minutes. Today it was every two. He felt his controller vibrate and an elbow connect to his ribs.

“Ow!”

“C’mon, dude! I’m not leaving you behind,” Michael whined, making sure Jeremy’s character didn’t die.

Jeremy mumbled what sounded like an apology and began to play again, shoving his phone in his pocket. Michael noticed his attitude and paused the game without warning.

“Hey, Michael, I’m paying attention, I swear,” Jeremy reasoned, trying to get back to his distraction.

Michael turned to Jeremy with a look of concern on his face. He lightly pushed his glasses up.

“Dude, is everything alright? You’ve been really out of it today,” He asked.

Jeremy took a slow breath and nodded. He wasn’t feeling the best about meeting Heidi and Evan. Jeremy put his controller down and leaned back in his beanbag chair.

“Tomorrow's the big day,” Jeremy mumbled.

“Step-family stuff?” Michael asked. Jeremy nodded.

“Dad’s got a whole dinner plan set up and everything. And, yeah, it’s exciting. But. Like...” He trailed off.

Michael put his own controller down and pressed his beanbag against Jeremy’s. He laid down and poked his player 2. 

“What’s the worst that could happen? From what I hear, your new mom sounds really nice-”

“ _Stepmom _,” Jeremy corrected.__

__

__“Okay, okay. Stepmom. But she still sounds cool.”_ _

__

__“That’s because all dad talks about is how pretty she is, or how her hair frizzes right before it rains. He doesn’t say anything about how she acts,” Jeremy propped himself up on his elbow, facing Michael._ _

__

__“I didn’t even know that she had a kid until this Thursday. What else don’t I know about her?”_ _

__

__“Well...Your dad hasn’t said anything bad at least?” Michael tries and fails to de-stress Jeremy._ _

__

__“He’s also said nothing about Evan,”_ _

__

__Jeremy shook his head in disapproval and sat up. He checked his phone. No messages from Christine yet. Michael sat up again and laid his arm around Jeremy’s shoulders, pulling him into a hug._ _

__

__“Hey, if it turns out your big bro is an asshole, I’ll kick his ass for you,” Jeremy snorted in response, leaning into the embrace._ _

__

__“Your moms would kill you,”_ _

__

__Michael smirked and shrugged. He picked up his controller and tilted his head in a wordless question. Jeremy nodded and picked up his own controller. The two begin to play again, being very vocal and bouncy with every action on-screen._ _

__

__A sudden slam at the front door made both boys smash the pause button._ _

__

__“Dad?” Jeremy called out._ _

__

__He and Michael exchanged a look when no response came. They leapt up from their beanbags and sprinted to the foyer. When they arrived, the door was wide open. Jeremy ran outside and shouted._ _

__

__“Dad, where are-”_ _

__

__Jeremy froze as he saw the U-Haul truck in the driveway. Mr. Heere was outside the driver’s seat door, hugging and rocking a pretty woman with long blonde curls. There was a dirty-blonde haired boy standing beside them. He fumbled with the collar of his shirt and avoided looking at anything but his Uggs. Mr. Heere let Heidi go and turned to his son, arms open wide._ _

__

__“Jeremy, they’re here!” He shouts, tears of joy welling up in his eyes._ _

__

__Jeremy looked back at Michael in surprise. Michael nervously chuckled and backed inside to sit on the couch. Jeremy walked down the driveway and stopped in front of his new stepmom. He slowly extended a hand._ _

__

__“H-hi. I’m-”_ _

__

__“Jeremy!” Heidi smiles and pulls him into a hug._ _

__

__Jeremy squeaked and hesitantly hugged her back. He made eye contact with Evan and forced a friendly smile. Even shrinked away and looked at the grass. Wow, Jeremy thought. He really is anxious. Heidi pulled away and took a quick, happy breath._ _

__

__“It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’m Heidi,” She extended an arm and looked back at Evan. Evan jolted and quickly got under his mom’s arm. She hugged him tight and turned to face both Jeremy and Mr. Heere._ _

__

__“And, of course, this is Evan.”_ _

__

__Evan kept his eyes glued to the ground and picked at his left thumb. He took a slow, deep breath and cleared his throat._ _

__

__“H-hi. I-um, Thank you for letting me-uh, I mean-” Evan shook his head and made eye contact with Mr. Heere._ _

__

__“Thank you for letting me live with you,”_ _

__

__“No need to thank me,” Mr. Heere smiled wide and turned to face the house._ _

__

__“Come in in! Evan, Jeremy can show you where your room is,”_ _

__

__Evan nodded and looked up at Jeremy. The boy in the blue cardigan was at least 3 inches taller than him. Evan felt fear creep up his spine. He did his best to squash it down as he cleared his throat._ _

__

__“H-hi. Um-Jeremy,” Evan quickly looked away once more._ _

__

__Jeremy could feel his stepbrother’s anxiety in his chest. He tugged on his cardigan and began to walk towards the house._ _

__

__“So uh,” Jeremy started, feeling extremely awkward._ _

__

__“Your room’s just down the hall from mine. There’s uh-no closet, so you’ll have to use a dresser,”_ _

__

__Evan just nodded and followed his guide. As they entered the house, he took a deep breath. He could smell old wood and candles. As the two stepbrothers crossed into the living room, Michael spoke up._ _

__

__“So, uh...should I go, Jer?” He called from the couch._ _

__

__Evan slightly flinched and stared at the boy in the red hoodie. He gave a small wave and looked to Jeremy for help. He was starting to feel overwhelmed._ _

__

__“No, dude, I’ll be back in a bit. I just need to show him where he’s sleeping,” Jeremy gestured towards Evan as he spoke. Evan’s emotions were flooding into him. He needed to calm down and smoke a joint._ _

__

__Evan began to stare at his boots again, telling himself to breathe. Michael noticed the older boy’s actions and frowned. He stood up and ran an hand through his messy hair. He walked up to Evan and held out a fist, smiling._ _

__

__“So you’re Evan? I’m Michael,”_ _

__

__Evan stared at Michael’s fist and lightly bumped it with his own. He held both hands close to his chest and took a shallow breath._ _

__

__“Are you-um. Jeremy’s friend?”_ _

__

__“Yeah,” Michael smirked and fake-punched Jeremy._ _

__

__“We’ve known each other for...oh, a week?” he joked. Jeremy snorted and shoved Michael in retaliation._ _

__

__“Try thirteen years, jerk-off.”_ _

__

__Evan smiled as the two boys began to play fight. Jeremy was nice to his friends. A good sign. His anxiety around the situation was still very much present, but Evan felt a warm blanket of safety rest on his shoulders._ _

__

__Within thirty seconds, Michael had Jeremy’s neck trapped in an unstable headlock. The boy in the red hoodie began running his hands through Jeremy’s curls, intentionally trying to mess it up. He almost immediately pulled his hand back, muttering an _“Eww, Jeremy!” _as his fingers were now slick with globs of hair gel. Jeremy used this to his advantage and slipped out from Michael’s grasp. He grabbed the taller boy and smushed his head against his cheek. There was a soft wet noise and a disgusted shriek from Michael as he tried to push Jeremy away.___ _

___ _

___“Gross, Jeremy! Stop using three bottles of gel, Jesus Christ,” Michael shouted, unable to hide a small smile._ _ _

___ _

___“Surrender,” Jeremy mocked, rubbing his moist mop all over Michael’s chin._ _ _

___ _

___“You first,” Michael gleefully whooped, grabbing onto one of Jeremy’s arms._ _ _

___ _

___Michael managed to turn Jeremy around and pick him up by the belly. He used one arm to hold his friend and the other to wipe the collected gel from his chin to Jeremy’s cheeks. The boys were clearly having fun, with wide smiles that scrunched their noses and stretched their cheeks. Chuckles and snorts filled the living room as the two continued to play-fight. Evan put a hand to his face, a few fingers covering his lips as he let out a small whisper of a laugh._ _ _

___ _

___Mr. Heere and Heidi made their way to the tussle, drawn by the noise. Heidi mimicked her son, letting out a slow, loving laugh. Mr. Heere rolled his eyes but still smiled. He was slightly embarrassed, but the feeling quickly vanished as he slung an arm around his fiancee._ _ _

___ _

___“Boys,” He spoke up, making Michael and Jeremy pause._ _ _

___ _

___Michael looked up, his big brown eyes round and innocent, gaze mimicking a surprised puppy’s. Jeremy frowned and his cheeks flushed just a bit as he made eye-contact with Heidi. Evan jumped and looked back at his mom and Mr. Heere. His smile faded to a half-hearted curl._ _ _

___ _

___“Me and Heidi are going to start unpacking. Show Evan his room, then you can play.” Mr. Heere said, his tone playful._ _ _

___ _

___Jeremy groaned and pulled away from Michael as he set him down. Michael held back a laugh and wiped as much of the hair gel coating his chin onto his sweatpants as he could. Jeremy ran his hands through his hair as he watched his dad and Heidi go outside. He fixed his jewfro as much as it let him before he turned to Evan. The blonde was making eye contact, seemingly zoning out._ _ _

___ _

___“Okay, follow me,” Jeremy said, forcing a small smile._ _ _

___ _

___Jeremy began to walk upstairs, passing by squares of saturated wallpaper where his mother’s photos used to hang. He grimaced as he thought of Heidi replacing her on the wall. Evan followed behind Jeremy, gripping the belt loops of his pants. Michael followed close behind Evan._ _ _

___ _

___He looked the anxious boy up and down. Evan held himself like a guilty dog. He was average height, oddly short compared to Michael and Jeremy. His actions screamed anxiety, and judging by how anxious Jeremy was suddenly acting, it was obvious to Michael he was deeply uncomfortable. He wanted to comfort both Jeremy and Evan. Michael decided to stop staring at Evan, feeling he was being invasive._ _ _

___ _

___The top floor was decently sized, a long hall with five doors. On the left, there was a closet, then Jeremy’s room, and the bathroom. On the right, there was another, smaller, closet and far down the hall and parallel to the bathroom was the guest room. Evan’s room._ _ _

___ _

___“Down here,” Jeremy led Evan through the wide hallway._ _ _

___ _

___Evan glanced around, taking in all the photos and mini-mirrors on the wall. He saw Jeremy and his dad littered in the frames. A few were empty, an almost painful reminder that the family had holes. Evan looked at himself in the little mirrors. He was invading. He didn’t belong in the Heere family._ _ _

___ _

___Jeremy turned the handle and pushed the door open. He waved his arms in an attempt to enthusiastically show off the room. It came out half-hearted._ _ _

___ _

___“Here’s your room, Evan,” Jeremy said, voice waning._ _ _

___ _

___Evan blinked and nodded. He hesitantly approached the room and stepped inside. It was large. Spacious. Looming. Evan took a deep breath before he turned to Jeremy, a soft smile painting his lips._ _ _

___ _

___“Thank you, Jeremy,” he said._ _ _

___ _

___Jeremy jolted as his phone hummed. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and read the text. A giddy smile flashed across his face before it dropped. He looked up at Michael, who returned his concerned gaze._ _ _

___ _

___“Christine’s here,” Jeremy breathed._ _ _

___ _

___This was his chance. He could bail, leave the awkwardness of the Hansens showing up a full day early. Finally stop feeding off his stepbrother’s sticky emotions. He felt Michael pat his shoulder._ _ _

___ _

___“Go tell her Evan’s here. I’m sure she’d love to meet him,” he suggested, smiling._ _ _

___ _

___Jeremy grimaced. He’d hoped Michael would help him lay down an out. Michael’s smile turned into a confused frown, then an annoyed squint. Evan slowly walked backwards, sitting on the naked bed. He sensed the tension in the air and didn’t want to be part of it._ _ _

___ _

___“Actually, Michael...” Jeremy began to text Christine back. He started walking down the hall._ _ _

___ _

___“I’m gonna go.”_ _ _

___ _

___Michael watched as Jeremy practically bolted down the stairs. His face dropped. He could tell Jeremy was avoiding his step-family. It hurt him a bit, but made no attempt to stop Jeremy. He’d give him hell later. Michael looked into Evan’s room and smiled._ _ _

___ _

___“So, you’re from Texas?” Michael asked._ _ _

___ _

___Evan looked up at him and blinked. He glanced around, a bit uneasy. Was Jeremy coming back? Should he go downstairs and start unpacking? Why was the boy in the red hoodie staring at him? Why did they talk so fast? What were they hiding from him?_ _ _

___ _

___“Uh-huh.” Evan nodded, clicking his fingernails together._ _ _

___ _

___Michael walked into Evan’s room and stood near him. Michael radiated excitement and joy. It made Evan queasy._ _ _

___ _

___“What part? My moms went through Dallas on their way to Mexico,” Michael explained._ _ _

___ _

___Evan’s eyebrows raised as he picked up on Michael’s accent on Mexico. Did he speak Spanish? Evan shrugged and stopped his mind from filtering through everything that was uncomfortable about his current situation. He steeled himself and hunched over, voice quiet._ _ _

___ _

___“F-Fort Bend County. Sugar Land. It’s not, uh, touristy.” His tone gave off an air of apology._ _ _

___ _

___“You’ve been to Mexico?” He slowly asked, finding comfort in gripping the bare mattress._ _ _

___ _

___“Nah, but I want to. Someday,” Michael ran a hand through his hair as he looked out Evan’s window. The blonde was talking uncomfortably slow. Maybe it was a southern thing?_ _ _

___ _

___Michael swam for something to say. He didn’t want to go back home or leave Evan alone. Well, not alone, he reasoned. Mr. Heere and Ms. Hansen were in the house, and Evan needed to unpack. He had a fleeting thought and decided he wanted to hang out with Evan, finish he and Jeremy’s game. It took a moment for Michael to realize the now very tense silence._ _ _

___ _

___He cleared his throat and looked over at Evan. He was back to clicking his fingernails together. Michael smiled and put his hands in his sweater pockets._ _ _

___ _

___“So, wanna play some video games? Me and Jeremy were just playing House of The Dead.” He paused for dramatic effect. “ _The original _.”___ _ _

___ _

___Evan clacked his teeth together. The awkward feeling of being in someone else’s house without them there burned through him. His eyes darted around. He still felt very much unwelcome. Michael’s talking didn’t help at all. He was speaking much too fast._ _ _

___ _

___“I-uh, are you sure I can?” he asked, making eye contact with one of the taller boy’s iron-on patches. It was a NASA-themed patch, with the phrase _‘Houston, I have so many problems’ _on it, placed on his left collarbone.___ _ _

___ _

___“Yeah, dude!”_ _ _

___ _

___Michael pulled a hand out of his pocket and gave Evan a friendly slap on the shoulder. Evan flinched from both the force and the surprise; when did Michael walk up to him? Evan nervously coughed and stood up, patting his thighs to ground himself._ _ _

___ _

___“Jeremy’s gonna be gone for a few hours, we might as well,”_ _ _

___ _

___Michael didn’t want to admit he didn’t have any plans for the day. Rich had cancelled on him, and no one else was responding to his requests to hang out. The group chat was dead._ _ _

___ _

___Evan let out a small cough as his throat itched. Evan started to nod, stopping himself. He felt his legs tingle and his spine grow rigid. He only just met Jeremy. What if he broke something and he got upset? What kind of stepbrother would he be if he destroyed his property on day one?_ _ _

___ _

___“But, that’s not, uh. Mine,” he protested._ _ _

___ _

___Michael smiled, playfully rolling his eyes. He took big cartoony steps to enhance his words._ _ _

___ _

___“Me and Jeremy go way back, dude. What’s his, is mine,” he reasoned._ _ _

___ _

___Evan awkwardly watched Michael leave the room. He stood still for a few seconds before his spine gave a jolt. He was tensing up way too much._ _ _

___ _

___“O-ok,” he mumbled, following Michael to Jeremy’s room._ _ _

___ _

___Maybe this would be ok?_ _ _

___ _

____Maybe? _____ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy is an empath! That's why he can feel Evan's emotions as if they were his own.  
> Enjoy that Platonic Boyf Reinds ;3
> 
> Next chapter, we get to see how Michael takes Jeremy's new housemate.


	3. Evan Makes A Friend? Maybe?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeremy has ditched Evan with his best friend. What could possibly go wrong? It's not like Michael will fall for his step brother and want to cuddle him into Jeremy's beanbag?
> 
>  
> 
> ...right?

“Whaaaat? A whole day early?” Christine asked, wide-eyed over her ice cream.

Jeremy nodded, gladly soaking up his girlfriend’s excitement. He stirred what was left in his cup and looked up at Christine’s sparkly eyes. He could get lost in them.

“Well why didn’t you stay? Or invite me in? I’d love to meet him! Evan, right? He sounds so sweet! Or does he, I can’t remember,” Christine started to babble, waving an arm in her same old adorable fashion.

Normally, Christine’s babbling left Jeremy breathless, prisoner to her hypnotic movements. Blind to the topic at hand, he’d be able to absorb the tone and inflections in her voice. But this time, the topic was too heavy. Jeremy wanted to avoid this conversation entirely.

“-But maaaybe if it was a stepsister-”

“Hey, Christine?” Jeremy cut her off.

Christine just smiled and flopped her jaw closed, listening to Jeremy. She tilted her head and stuck her arms to her sides, shifting her weight in the booth like a giddy toddler. _God, she’s adorable_ , Jeremy was nearly distracted.

“Hmm?” 

“Look, I don’t want to talk about him right now. Or Heidi. Or home. At all,” he admitted.

Jeremy flinched as he felt Christine’s legs wrap around his own. He melted into it, face flushing. She nodded and proceeded to change the subject, wanting to make her boyfriend as comfortable as possible. 

She began babbling about the upcoming show: ‘Taming of the Shrewbeast of the Green Lagoon’, and how she saw the lead. Jake was playing her, and Christine couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous.

Jeremy got lost in her voice and sighed lovingly. What did he do to deserve such a perfect girl?

\--

Evan jumped a bit as the boss swiped at him. He squeaked through his teeth and followed Michael’s directions: run up, strike, and book it away. So far, it was working. He leaned to the side a bit, knees touching both beanbags. He refused to sit on something he didn’t own, and Michael, being not-so observant, stopped insisting as soon as he noticed Evan’s near-panic attack.

He watched Evan bounce and tap his thumbs. Michael smiled so wide it hurt. He felt his face flush as he looked him over again. Definitely wasn’t an asshole. Evan had a perfect spine curve, muscular arms, and didn’t assault his curls with hair gel like Jeremy. He used mousse, or a hair paste of some sort. It seemed fancier than Michael’s putty, anyway.

Michael felt warm inside, and started losing the game. He noticed Evan’s face. It was babysish and soft, highlighted as the blonde rubbed his cheek. He could see right when Evan shifted from repeating button combos in his brain to hyper focusing on the boss’ movements and stats. His breathing would pick up just a bit, with soft little exhales. Everything about Evan was small, precious and cute. Soft skin, soft hair, soft, perfectly kissable lips...

Michael choked, his avatar losing all of their health. He let out a half-strangled noise of disappointment and avoided looking at Evan. He thought he was cute. Cute enough to-

_Stop it Mikey, stop it stop it stop it!_ He screamed at himself. He felt his cheeks burn up unbearably as he set his controller aside. He had a crush on his best friend’s stepbrother within an hour of knowing him. This was so far from ok. 

“Are you alright-uhh, M-M...Matthew?” Evan asked, pausing the game. 

Michael pressed his fist against his mouth and leaned away from Evan. _He didn’t even remember his name._

“It’s uh-Michael.” He corrected, voice small.

Evan let out a short gasp and grabbed at his collar. Michael felt like Cupid clubbed him in the ribcage. Evan didn’t seem to notice, lip trembling and teeth clanking.

“I-I’m so sorry! I’m not good with names I didn’t mean to upset you or anything oh god I’m so sorry do you forgive me oh god you probably don’t-” He started to panic.

Michael sat up and reached out his hand to comfort Evan. Evan shrunk away, eyes glued to the floor in a practiced motion. Michael reached forward further and gently rubbed his shoulder.

“No, I forgive you,” He assured Evan, smiling. “It’s all good. I’m bad at names too, dude!”

Evan nodded and started breathing deliberately. He took slow breaths as he looked up at Michael, staring at the frames of his glasses.

“Yeah, y-you’re bad at names too, dude.” Evan started internally screaming, a panicked smile curling the ends of his lips.

“Yeah, I’m bad at ‘em.” Michael held up his hands in mock innocence.

“You’re bad at names too.” Evan repeated.

Michael started laughing. His cheeks darkened even more at Evan’s apparent mockery. The tension was thick. Evan started breathing faster. Michael laughed for a solid 13 seconds, not noticing Evan’s delay in speaking.

“G-God, I’m so sorry. I-It just happens some--sometimes, I-” Evan started, stuttering a bit.

“Woah, woah, sorry for what?” Michael asked, sitting up in his bean bag.

“Sometimes I just--sometimes I just can’t help it and-um. I’m sorry,” Evan apologized some more.

“Dude, what? What can’t you help?” 

Evan curled in on himself and rubbed his arms. He shook his head and stood up. Michael stood after him, growing worried.

“I just need-- I just. I’m--I’m gonna go to my mom,” He stuttered like a small child and walked as fast as possible out of the room. 

“Evan, wait,” Michael rached out for Evan.

The blonde made his way out of the room too quickly for Michael to catch him. Michael curled his fingers and looked at the tv screen. He felt sticky on the inside. He felt alone, like he did something wrong. 

Michael plopped down onto the bean bag chair and let his head flop wherever. He ended up staring at the ceiling. Where on earth did it go wrong? Did Evan hate him now? Did Evan think _he_ hated him?

Evan hopped down the stairs and took square breaths. He saw Heidi at the front door, helping Mr. Heere with some boxes. Noticing Evan, she moved to put her boxes down on the couch. She stood up straight and smiled at him. 

“Hi honey! I got your pills, it’s almost time for you to take them right?” She asked, digging through her box.

Evan tensed up and looked around, praying hard that no one else heard. He quickly walked up to Heidi and snatched the bottles out of her hand as she pulled them up. The bottles quickly disappeared into crossed arms and Evan began to rock on his heels.

“Evan-!” Heidi started, flabbergasted by his sudden rudeness.

“I don’t--I don’t want them to _know_ ,” He whispered, the pills as heavy as lead.

Heidi quickly relaxed, pursing her lips and making a noise. It was neither accusing nor pitiful. She moved to rub Evan’s cheek, silently apologizing.

“I’ll tell Steve to keep it to himself if he hasn’t told Jeremy yet,” She promised. 

Evan pretended to relax, lowering his tight shoulders and leaning into his mother’s hand. Heidi smiled, feeling like she succeeded. She pulled her hand back and lightly tapped Evan’s elbow, looking around and finding the coat clear.

“Are you all good on refills?” She asked.

Evan hadn’t taken his pills in three weeks. He nodded, looking at Heidi and offering a small smile. He wanted to say, ‘Yeah, I’m good’. 

“Am I good on refills? Am--am I good? On refills? Refills? Am I good--” Evan felt his world crash down on him, throat wanting to close up.

Heidi was quick to act, rubbing Evan’s back and leading him to the couch. She sat him down and pulled out his anxiety pill bottle. She opened it up and handed Evan two of them. 

“I’ll get water.”

Before Heidi could leave, Evan made sure to pop the pills in his mouth, finally stopping his repetition. Heidi nodded and left for the kitchen, struggling to find where the glasses were.

Evan quickly spat the pills back into their bottle. It wasn’t anxiety that gave him echolalia anyway. He read the bottle as he closed it. It was his aripiprazole. She gave him the wrong meds and dosage. He made a mental note to flush a few, so Heidi wouldn’t worry about him not taking them.

When Heidi came back, Evan took a big gulp of water, tilting his head back. Heidi seemed satisfied, taking Evan’s pills as discreetly as possible. She stuffed them back in the box and handed it over to Evan.

Evan helped Heidi and Mr. Heere unpack the rest of the truck, focusing on his own things. He barely gave Michael a passing glance as the darker boy left the house, heading home. 

Within a few hours, Evan’s room was as perfect as he could make it. Heidi and Mr. Heere were downstairs cooking, discussing tomorrow’s dinner plan. Jeremy was still on his date. Jared wasn’t texting back anymore, in class. Now was a good time.

Evan took out his very well hidden pills and poured some in his hand. He smelled something burning, on his bed. After he was certain there was nothing on fire or leaking, he realized what it was. He was hallucinating again. He decided to take a pill, swallowing it dry.

Evan re-hid his pills and made his way to the bathroom. His white anxiety pills sprinkled down into the toilet bowl, mixing and knocking into his pink antipsychotics. Soon enough, it was over and Evan flushed. He left the bathroom, feeling bad. 

He jolted as Jeremy’s door shut loud and fast. When did he get back? Was he watching him? What if he could tell he was in his room? What if he was mad? What if he stormed into his room and started yelling and his echolalia started to act up and he offended him and-

Evan decided to take his anxiety meds, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-Oh, looks like Evan has been lying(again). Whatever will happen to him?


	4. Jeremy tries to bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evan has been hard at work. Jeremy struggles to deal with what he saw.  
> Jake and Jenna arrive, proving their roles as Dad friend and Mom friend. Doggo approves.

A few days passed, Evan always seeming to be on his computer. Though some part of Jeremy wanted to accuse Evan of slacking off and having mindless fun, He really seemed to be hard at work. Not that he was spying on his stepbrother, or anything.

Evan was constantly surrounded by his social security card, resume packet, a brown folder, and various other scraps of paper full of references on them. He only ever seemed to pause when Heidi came in, when it was dinner time, to write down information or when he'd text Jared on his phone for an hour.

Jeremy washed his hands for the fourth time in a row, staring at Evan through the mirror. He remembered what Evan did, his first day in the Heere's home. Jeremy had been looking up exactly what kind of pills he was flushing, worried they were something serious. He wasn't certain, but most likely one of the types were anxiety medication. Not a good sign.

Jeremy finally dried his hands off and walked through the open bathroom door. He didn't really know what to do. Mr. Heere had been urging Jeremy to bond with Evan, play some games with him, take him out to explore the town. But whenever Jeremy got near Evan, his anxiety flooded Jeremy and left him feeling just as unwilling to talk. It had to end. But how?

"Jeremy," Mr. Heere called. "Your friends are here!"

"I'm coming," He called back, seeing Evan flinch and drop his folder. 

Jeremy didn't apologize, nervously walking down the hall as fast as he could. Evan just tried to shrug it off, feeling his spine tense up.

Jeremy walked down the stairs, smiling. Before he could say hi, a large and fluffy sheep dog jumped up and pinned him to the stairs. She began to bark and lap at Jeremy's face, tail wagging wildly. She pawed at Jeremy's hands as he tried to stop her onslaught.

"Oniimush, gego! Gizhingishin!" Jake ordered, pulling her off. {Oniimush, don't! Lie down!}

Oniimush barked and turned to Jake, trying to burrow into him. She headbutted her owner, making his jaw snap shut. Thankfully he didn’t bite his tongue. Jenna laughed at the display. She tried to call Oniimush to her, the dog happily running to her friend. Thankfully, Jenna managed to avoid being bowled over.

Jeremy stood up with Jake's help. They both wobbled a bit, still laughing it off.

"Sorry bro. Couldn't leave her at home. She's been chewing all of my Unc's furniture." Jake explained, shrugging and leaning back on his heels.

"It's fine." Jeremy said. "Hey, where's Brooke, isn't she coming?"

Jeremy scanned the living room, finding the bubbly blonde missing in action. Jenna hunched over and started giving Oniimush back scratches.

"She and Michael went to go see a movie. Rated PG 13, a superhero hit at the boxoffice." Jenna announced.

There was a short silence.

"...I'm kidding, I have no idea."

The room filled with playful laughter, the three friends happy. Evan could hear it, wanting to close his door. He was flooded with memories of him and Jared. Fun, happy memories.

The two used to do a lot together. Jared would often invite himself over to Evan's house, making him feel so much less alone. Though he'd never admit to Jared that was the only good thing about his house. They would both lay on Evan's bed, Evan criss-crossed and holding his computer on his lap, Jared on his belly, arms and phone over the side of the mattress. They would exchange photos, memes, funny texts, and often show one another a funny video. Some days the room was silent, occasionally filled with little huffs and snorts as they'd talk over Facebook. 

Other days Jared would drive Evan to his house, provided his parents were gone for the day. Those memories were less fond, Jared bringing Evan to the basement and drinking. Every time, Evan would feel pressured to partake, even though he knew Jared didn't actually care if he drank with him or not.

Evan couldn't help but feel jealous of Jeremy's friends and their extremely happy laughter. He decided to pause his current application, moving his things and sliding off his bed. He needed at least some headphones.

As Evan sat back down on his bed, he turned on some music. Old show tunes in German. He relaxed, drowning out the world. As he finished up typing in his references, there was a sudden weight on his bed. Evan tried to turn and face whatever it was but he was too late. Evan shrieked at the top of his lungs as Oniimush slammed into him, barking happily. She howled and started to lap at Evan, sliding both of them off the bed. Evan made odd noises, his mouth pinched closed as he tried to stay on the bed. Evan wrapped his arms around Oniimush as they fell, letting out a frightened scream. 

Jake, Jeremy and Jenna ran up the stairs at the commotion, quickly followed by Mr. Heere. Jake gripped the door frame and slid inside Evan's room, scared. Jenna and Jeremy tried and failed to stop as fast as he did.

"Oniimush, gego! Gabaanaazha'! Gabaanaazha'!" He yelled, running around Evan's bed. {Oniimush, don't! Get off! Get off!}

Jake paused as he saw Evan, surprised but still willing to help out. Jenna crawled over the bed, avoiding Evan's ruined setup. She smiled at Evan and quietly laughed. Jeremy and Mr. Heere exchanged a glance. 

"You good, bro?" Jake asked, smiling softly.

Evan didn't respond, petting Oniimush and nuzzling her neck. He giggled and clenched his eyes shut, obviously happy at his attack. Oniimush barked and jumped, slipping away from Evan. He sat up and looked at her, whistling a bit. Oniimush happily came back, covering Evan's face in licks. Evan scratched her neck and pet her sides. He couldn't have asked for a better way to be cheered up.

Mr. Heere laughed and started to record the event on his phone, Jenna doing the same. Jake found and sat down in Evan's desk chair, his leg starting to act up.

Jeremy stood still unsure of what to do. Everyone was bubbly and full of joy, their emotions flooding Jeremy's chest. He was warm all over, but he didn't share the sentiment. These weren’t his emotions. He wanted to take Jenna and Jake to the mall already. Not stand outside his stepmom's kid's room.

Soon enough, the excitement died down and Evan managed to stand up. Oniimush jumped up and pinned Evan to the wall. He tried halfheartedly to push her off.

"What's your name?" Evan cooed, voice light and happy.

Oniimush barked and Jenna snorted, ending the video.

"Her name's Oniimush," Jake explained, trying to discreetly pop his prosthetic leg back into place.

"On...Oniimush?" Evan started to pet her behind the ears.

"It means dog." Came Jeremy's curt and harsh reply.

Jake looked at him, a bit sad. He usually had a whole speech on how he named her. He wanted to tell it again. Jenna looked at Jeremy too, a bit put off by his attitude. Mr. Heere looked at Jeremy, a warning look in his arched brows. 

"Ha, dog." Evan said, not seeming to notice Jeremy's tone.

He looked up at Jake and Jenna, feeling a bit nervous. He felt better as Oniimush suddenly changed her demeanor, lapping at his hands and pawing his belly. His hands were occupied as he felt a tiny burst of confidence.

"Who are you guys?" He asked.

"The name's Jenna, Jenna Roland. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram, I'm GlimmerGal223." She announced, holding up her phone, thumbs ready.

"What's your handle?"

"oh, n-no, uh," Evan went back to looking at Oniimush. "I don't uh--I don't use Twitter. My Insta--My Instagram is private, sorry."

Jenna just nodded, putting her phone down. Jake smiled and crossed his leg over his prosthetic.

"I'm Jake Dillinger. I'm from the Saint Regis Mohawk Nation." He sat up straight and tall, proud.

Evan smiled and looked up at Jake, interested. Jared was Native American. Should he bring it up? No, that would be weird. That should come up later. If ever.

"Oh, um. Hou Mikakiapi." Evan said, imitating Jared poorly. {Hello my relatives.}

Jake tilted his head, trying to understand. His eyes lit up as he recognized the language, however butchered the pronunciation was. He laughed a bit and shook his head. 

"Oh, I speak Ojibwe, not Dakota." He explained.

Evan's face turned red. He looked away, embarrassed. Oniimush pawed at him again, tail straightening.

"But it's cool that you know a Native language!" Jake picked back up, not wanting to make Evan feel bad.

"Aw, Jakey's flirting~" Jenna teased.

"No i'm not," Jake threw back, smiling.

Mr. Heere finished clipping and shrinking the video he took, sending it to Heidi. He smiled and nodded, heading out to leave the room and get ready for work. 

"You kids have fun. Evan, take a break if you need it. You've been working hard." 

Evan nodded and bit his lip, rubbing the top of Oniimush's head. Jenna turned to Evan and slid off the bed. 

"Jeremy told us a little about you. You're in college?" She asked. 

As Jenna and Evan started to talk, Jake got up. He walked out of the room and gestured for Jeremy to follow him. They both ended up in Jeremy's room, door closed.

"Bro, are you alright? Did he steal your stuff or something? I'll tell him off." Jake offered, not liking seeing his friend so tense.

"No, I'm fine. It's fine, we're fine." Jeremy grumbled.

Jake crossed his arms and frowned, cheeks tensing up. Jeremy felt his worry and doubt, starting to block Jake out. He sighed and flopped down on his beanbag chair, deciding to tell Jake.

"I don't like him. All he does is stay in his room. And, and--I watched him flush some pills down the toilet. He just _screams_ bad news." Jake stood still, nodding and listening.

"And, like, I don't know what they're for, but what if it's something big? What if he has a heart issue, what if he's crazy?!"

Jake took a seat right beside Jeremy. His face was set in a calm emotion Jeremy couldn't recognize. He refused to open himself back up to find out what it was. Jake put a brotherly hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Jeremy, what do you mean by crazy?"

Jeremy let out a frustrated huff. He shrugged and looked at his gaming consoles.

"What if he hears things? Or thinks there's a time machine up in Germany? What if he snaps and hits me? What if he flies off the handle and hurts my dad?" He gestured to nowhere, exasperated.

Jake pinched his lips tight. He took a breath and collected himself, willing away and anger. He didn't want to offend Jeremy. Just get his point across.

"Jeremy, bro, having a mental illness doesn't make someone a bad person. It just means, like, they see things differently. Their brains work a little weird is all, bro." Jake explained, not knowing or caring if Evan was "crazy".

Jeremy didn't say anything, realizing how much of an asshole he was being. He opened his mouth to defend himself, shutting up when he thought about his words. He really needed to stay in his lane.

"Jeremy," Jake said, calm. "I'm your bro, right?"

"Yeah. Why?" Jeremy shifted in his beanbag, squeezing it a bit.

"What if it turned out I saw monsters, heard ghosts, if I knew, with like, 500% certainty that my parents were aliens or some shit? Would I be an asshat?"

Jeremy blinked, offended.

"What? No you wouldn't be."

“Would I be a freak that would fly off the handle and fuck you up?”

“No, never!”

Jake snapped his fingers and pointed at Jeremy. Jeremy shrunk back and felt his cheeks burn. He was such an asshole. 

Jeremy sighed, long and deep. He laid back and rubbed his face. He felt himself rubbing oils everywhere. He decided to let Jake have his laugh and be done with it. No laughter came.

"C'mon Jer. Invite him out with us. Or just out to hang with you. It doesn't matter what the pills were for. Just tell your dad if you're worried." 

Jeremy blinked up at Jake. The brotherly love that came from him was overpowering. Jeremy sighed and buried his face in his hands.

\---

Jenna giggled and tapped the case of Evan's phone. Oniimush snuggled closer to Evan, sprawled across his and Jenna's laps. Evan kept scrolling, tilting his head a bit.

"So, What's the 'moments' button for?" He asked, Twitter fully functional.

"News and junk. Hey, we should post your first tweet!" 

Evan smiled at Jenna. Did this make them friends? He hoped so. He started to type out a tweet, following Jenna's directions. He really liked her. When he started to mimic and repeat her words, she seemed to know what it was and let him know it was perfectly fine. She waited for every delay, patient with him. She was like a big sister. The mom friend.

Just as Evan sent his first tweet, Jake and Jeremy came back. Jenna smiled and waved, she and Jake sharing a look. They nodded at each other and Jeremy cleared his throat.

"Evan, we're all going to the mall. Did you want to come with?"

Evan avoided eye contact. He looked down and messed with his phone, locking and unlocking his screen. He felt like he was intruding.

"I-I don't think-"

"Oniimush is coming." Jake announced.

Evan perked up a bit and looked at Jenna. Oniimush and Jenna. Maybe this would be nice. Yeah, it was going to be fun.

He needed a break anyway.


	5. Mall Date, Plus One's Welcome!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake, Jenna, Jeremy and Evan are at the mall!
> 
> Jeremy and Jenna have a heart to heart
> 
> Jake tries to flirt

#### J-rod Kleinmann is online

**`Hey Acorn, get murked by ur stepbro yet?**

#### Subtle_Smiles is online

_’No, Jared.’_

_’Jeremy wouldn’t murder me.’_

**`Riiiiiiiight`**

**`Ur still scared of him`**

_’VERY MUCH SO, JARED.’_

**`Hahahaha`**

**`Get fucked`**

_’You’re just mad cuz that guy from Chipotle won’t match you on Tinder.’_

**`Shut up`**

Evan put his phone in his pocket when Oniimush started to nose his leg. He smiled softly and put a few fries in his mouth. The big fluffy dog had her vest on, patches on the side proudly announcing that she was at work, and not to pet her. Jake softly chuckled, clicking his tongue. Oniimush made a small noise and laid down, still pressing her nose into Evan’s leg.

“She really likes you,” Jake cooed, nudging Oniimush’s rear with his foot.

Evan smiled, looking down at his fluffy new friend. She seemed to smile back, ears perking and relaxing. Flopping.

“She does?”

Jenna nudged Evan and giggled a tiny bit. Evan curled in a bit on himself but otherwise stayed open. He was a bit touch-starved, but as much as he wanted to be touched, he also didn’t. At all. Jake clicked his tongue again, getting both Oniimush’s attention as well as Evan’s.

“Aaniin Oniimush wizaaga'am?” He asked, bending over so his head was under the table. {Oniimush, need to go potty?}

Oniimush didn’t do much other than lift her ears, and Jake nodded at her in understanding. Evan rocked a bit in his seat, looking around the crowded mall. Back home, the largest mall was never this crowded. And Jenna calling this a 'slow day' didn't help the buzzing feeling in his legs. He broke from his mild trance when there was a whisper in his ear.

"sssssh,"

Evan tensed up, biting his lip. He started shoving fries in his mouth, trying to ignore it. This was bad. So bad. He didn't want the humming back, it made him a spaz. Memories flooded his brain, him telling Jared about it when they were kids. Jared being confused and asking his mom why he didn't have it. His own mom bringing him to a doctor. Dad leaving.

"sssssssssssssh,"

Evan coughed a small bit, trying not to be a bother. He cleared his throat and got the chunk of inhaled fry out of his windpipe, quickly swallowing it again. Jenna leaned over and rubbed Evan's shoulder. He tried not to flinch, growing rigid instead. Jenna leaned a bit over, smiling small.

"Jake's gonna take Oniimush outside, you should go with," She whispered.

Evan blinked and looked at her, tilting his head. It was an odd thing to suggest, especially when Evan barely knew these people. Sure, he and Jenna were becoming friends, but he wasn't too sure if he could handle taking over his stepbrother's friend group. Jeremy was already on edge today. He didn't want to anger him and get driven out, or left behind at the mall, or locked in a store, or--

Jake thankfully stopped Evan's train of thought in its tracks. 

"Hey, I'm gonna go take Oniimush out. Want me to meet back here or?" He asked, looking at his friends.

Jeremy thought for a moment before shrugging. 

"I don't mind. Jenna?" 

"I got an idea," She announced, playfully patting Evan's head. "You take Evan with you, and me and Jeremy go shopping. Text me when you're done, I'll let you know where we are."

Evan felt his entire upper body heat up in fright. He didn't want to do this. He wanted to go home, hide under his covers, and cry. He started taking slower breaths, remembering Dr. Sherman's words. He hated therapy.

"Great!" Jake clapped, loudly. 

Evan flinched.

Evan took a deep breath and held it, trying to stay silent. Jake was forward and friendly as usual, taking Evan by the hand and tugging him up. He flashed Evan a smile and Evan tried to shoot one back. Judging by the flash of concern in Jake's eyes, it wasn't very convincing.

Oniimush's ears were perked up and she led the way. Jake let Evan's hand go in favor of holding his backpack strap, his other hand resting on his right thigh. Evan couldn't help but glance at Jake's leg every so often, seeing his gate shift from normal, to prideful, to something that blatantly gave away Jake's disability. Jake didn't seem to be aware of it nor mind.

Jenna took a deep breath and leaned back in her chair as the two left. Jeremy remained stiff, unmoving since their group meal began. Jenna gave him a playful shove, hiding her seriousness.

"Hey," She greeted, voice a bit tense.

"M'hmm?" Jeremy replied, waiting until Evan was out of his peripherals.

Jenna set herself so she could fully face Jeremy, a supportive smile on her face paired with a worried look in her eyes. Jeremy let his shoulders sag and he took a deep breath. He turned to face Jenna. He knew what that look was.

"Jenna-"

"What's he done to you, huh? We need to know. Because from this side of the coin, I see nothing wrong with him."

Jeremy frowned and looked at his hands. He could feel Jenna's emotions. She was putting on a mask, being supportive and calm when on the inside she was judgy. A bit miffed. It made sense to Jeremy. Evan really was proving to just be a normal guy, thrown into this just as hard as Jeremy was. He wasn't being fair. But he couldn't help it. Could he?

"Look, he like. There were these pills and he..." Jeremy scrambled to find an excuse before sighing. 

He closed his eyes and leaned back, facing the ceiling. His chest rose and fell, and Jenna waited patiently. 

Jeremy fought himself over whether or not to tell Jenna. Did she have a right to know? Jeremy sure as hell did. What if whatever Evan flushed was important enough to affect his dad? He couldn't let that happen.

The silence ended with Jeremy cracking his back and sitting up normally. He rubbed his itchy cheeks and tried not to pop any pimples as he went. 

"I'm just worried about my dad. Evan's older than me, what if he exploits him? Or hurts him? I don't want dad to fall back into...whatever happened when mom left. He just barely got over it and now he's getting married to this kid's mom," Jeremy looked at Jenna, eyes swimming with worry and confusion. 

"God, I'm not ready for a brother."

Jenna just nodded, saying nothing. Jeremy could feel it in his chest, she was calmer now. Not understanding, but sympathetic. Everything felt buzzy.

"Well, I'm sure he's a nice guy. Jake'll let us know if he isn't when they come back."

Jenna stood and smiled. She brushed her skirt off and held out a hand, using the other to pick up her trash.

"Bookstore or Card shop?" She asked.

Jeremy smirked. He took her hand and used it to help himself stand. He grabbed most of his trash and nodded. His eyes sparkled with an urge, a need. Jenna nodded back, smirking. She had the same fire in her eyes.

"Let's buy the hell outta those dice," She proclaimed, leading Jeremy to the trash bins.

\---

"...And she can turn my lights on and off," Jake finished his explanation, smiling down at Oniimush. 

Oniimush looked up at him and sniffed, making sure he was following her. The automatic doors opened and the trio started down the sidewalk. A small patch of grass was in view, and Jake was already taking his backpack off. 

"Have you ever had a dog?" Jake asked, leg clacking along.

Evan swallowed and shook his head, not making eye contact. He wasn't sure he even wanted a dog. Everyone seemed to love them, but Evan found himself drawn to cats and other small mammals. He didn't know if he should say so or not. Would Jake care? Would he judge him? How badly would he judge him?

"No. N-not that I like, never want one," Evan started to babble, unable to stop his mouth from moving. "Dogs are nice, they're cute, they're loyal, they're cute. Dogs are cute. I like dogs, they're cute. Cute dogs. You have a cute dog."

Jake softly smiled at Evan as he babbled, calm. He watched Evan's lips move, his eyes flicker. He got lost in Evan's little features, humming as the blonde finished up. He sat down on the curb, patting the spot beside him. Evan gulped and sat down, a bit away from where Jake wanted him. He folded his hands into each other, holding them together with interwoven fingers. He watched Oniimush sniff around.

"So, I take it you like dogs?" Jake asked, giggling a bit with his words.

Evan's face flushed and he nodded. It was easier to lie if he didn’t know the person too well. But he learned his lesson and kept his mouth shut. Jake smiled wider and reached out. He placed his hand on Evan's forearm, gently squeezing as if to comfort him. Evan could feel himself start to sweat as he fought hard not to pull away. Jake was nice, Jake wasn't going to hurt him. Evan swallowed quietly, not wanting to freak Jake out or push him away. Jake was potentially his friend. His discomfort could deal with the contact.

"How long have you been at that computer, bro?" Jake asked, a sort of childish tone to his voice.

"U-um. Since I moved in," Evan answered. "I'm l-looking for a job. So I can save up for college."

Jake nodded and moved his hand a bit closer to Evan's wrist. He forced the worming awkwardness in his belly to digest. He forced himself to be aware. Talking, that's all this was. It was alright, he could do this.

"Sounds shitty. Guess his was just the break you needed?"

Evan shrugged and tried hard not to stare at Jake's hand. He became very, very aware of how sweaty his palms were. He wished they would stop. He squeezed his hands tighter together in an attempt to diter Jake from trying to touch them. But would he even try? Was Evan just being paranoid and overthinking things? Must be. Not like Jake would think of him as anything but a mutual friend. Maybe it was part of his culture. To be touchy.

"You don't like crowds, do you?" 

Evan shook his head, a bit confused by the question.

"...Hey, I have an idea."

Jake turned his body to face Evan, bubbly. Evan blinked a few times and mirrored Jake, not nearly as enthusiastic. He forced his nerves down, not wanting to seem weird.

"What is it?" Evan asked.

"My parents won't be home at all this weekend. Would you like to come over and play video games?"

Evan froze, eyes going blank. He kept eye contact, in disbelief. He only ever went to Jared's house. And the Murphy's. That thought made his stomach churn. He decided not to think about that too much.

"Wh...um...m-me? At your house?" He asked, voice quiet and unsure.

Jake nodded, smile fading a bit. He moved his hand right to Evan's wrist, holding on with minimal force. He didn't want to drive Evan away. Not at all.

"Yeah. But hey, if video games aren't your thing, I got some hard lemonades. And I could make us some killer frybread." Jake tried, trying whatever came to mind to entice Evan into coming over.

Evan eventually pulled his eyes away from Jake's. He loosened his grip on his own hands and looked down at Jake's. What was happening? Was this friendship? He didn't want to replace Jared. Then again, no one could replace his first and seemingly only friend. Jake was nothing like him. They had one thing in common. They were Native American. 

Jake bit his lip and started to scramble through his brain, trying to think of something else to do at his house. He let his lip go and rolled his shoulders back, glancing over at Oniimush. She was nearly done with her business. He opened his mouth to speak, getting cut off by Evan.

"Like. Um. Today?"

Jake relaxed and quickly slid his hand partially into Evan's. He smiled wider as he felt Evan move his hand. But he didn't pull away. Rather, he separated his hands and left them relaxed, unsure of what to do. Jake was just happy he wasn't rejected.

"If you want. There's always tomorrow. Hell, I'm free next weekend too."

Evan felt his spine creak and his mind bubble as he mulled the offer over. He took a deep breath and forced a smile. It was tiny, cute, a bit wonky. Jake didn't seem to notice.

"Tomorrow?"


End file.
